Liner



G. H. GRAHAM July 13, 1937.

LINER Filed June 15, 1935 Georgefl Graharm Patented July 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE",

LINER Application June 15,

1 Claim.

The invention relates to basket liners and has been illustrated as embodied in one suitable for use. inpacking: fruit or-vegetables for the purpose of protecting the contents of the basket The-present liner isalso effective in the packing of fruit wherein a facing form is used, the same supporting the liner with the small end up and after being filled and covered by an inverted basket the entire assembly is turned over so that the fruit that was arranged on the facing form appears at the top of the basket. Usually a reinforcing shell is placed around the liner while the fruit is being packet into the same but this shell is removed before the basket is placed over the liner and therefore it is necessar that the liner be sufficiently strong to retain the fruit when the reinforcing shell is removed. It is further desirable that the liner yield sufficiently to conform to the contour of the basket.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a liner which will accomplish all the functions mentioned and which can be cheaply manufactured.

A more specific object is to provide a liner for the purposes described which will incorporate novel means for attaching the ends of the liner together and which will permit a fairly extensive movement between the two ends of the liner.

With these and other objects in view the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawing and claim appended hereto.

In the drawing which illustrates an embodiment of the invention and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- Figure 1 is a plan view of the present liner in flat or strip form;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the liner of 40 Figure 1 in assembled form;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of Figure 45 2; and v Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified liner in assembled form.

Referring to the drawing which shows a preferred form of the invention, the liner identi- 50 fied in its entirety by numeral Ill may consist of sheet material such as card board, or the like, of moderate strength and stiffness to support the column of fruit without the aid of the reinforcing shell but which will also readily yield to con- 55 form to the fruit and to the basket walls. The

1935, Serial No. 26,718

liner inJbIank or strip form is arcuate in shape as shown in Figure l, the curvature of whichis determined by the .sizeof the basket to which.

the. liner is to be applied. Adjacent one endof the liner elongated openings are formed, which in the preferred form are diamond-shaped. Adjacent the other end of the liner the material is severed for a short distance in a plurality of places I 4, the cuts running substantially longitudinally of the liner. The slots or knife openings M are disposed in pairs and are located a distance in from the end of the liner and from the top and bottom thereof. The diamondshaped openings l2 are likewise located a distance in from their end of the liner and the openings and pairs of slots are spaced transversely of the liner to coincide when the liner is assembled as shown in Figure 2.

In assembled form the ends of the liner overlap and each opening [2 is over so as to completely expose a pair of slots It. In this form the liner appears as a truncated cone and approximates the internal contour of the side walls of a basket to which the liner is to be applied.

The lengths of the diamond-shaped openings l2 are greater than those of the slots l4 and likewise the height of the openings is greater than the distance between the slots of any pair. In the assembled form of the liner it is therefore possible to adjust one end relative to the other end, while still maintaining the openings in substantial alignment with their respective pair of slots. Fastening of the ends of the liner together is accomplished by means of a rod l 6 which is inserted through the slots l4 and therefore lies on the outside of the liner with the exception of those portions of the rod between the slots of each pair which are thus located to the inside of the liner. Each pair of slots may be described as providing a strip I8 which is located to the outside of the rod 16, thus holding the rod against the outside of the liner and retaining the ends of the liner in connected relation.

The size of the diamond-shaped openings l2 permits considerable shifting movement of the ends of the liner with respect to each other. This movement of the connected ends of the liner makes it possible to adjust the diameter or size of the liner when assembled as shown in Figure 2, and therefore the present liner can be used with baskets varying in size within certain limits. Also by reason of the shifting movement of the liner ends the same will more readily conform to the basket walls as the diameter of one end of the liner may be changed with respect to the other end to in effect change the angularity of the sloping sides of the liner.

The liner 20 shown in Figure 5 is substantially similar in construction to that of Figure 1 except that the openings 22 are circular instead of diamond-shaped. The openings 22 are made sufficiently large to completely expose the pair of slots l4 aligned with each opening and this also provides for the proper amount of shifting movement between the ends of the liner. Also in this modification the rod for joining the ends of the liner is replaced by a fiat stick 2d. Fastening of the liner ends together is accomplished in the same manner as described with respect to Figure 2, the flat stick 26 being inserted through the slots M and being held in this: manner to that end of the liner although overlying and contacting the exterior of the liner and having the openings 22 therein.

The present liner can be cheaply manufactured and is well suited to the packing of fruit by reason of the convenience and facility with which it can be assembled. This requires merely the inserting of the rod l6 through the slots l4 after 25 the ends of the liner have been overlapped to 10- cate the diamond-shaped openings l2 over and in alignment with the respective pair of slots. J oining the ends of the liner can be facilitated by first pressing outwardly on the portions l8 which has the effect of spacing the portions outwardly to permit ready insertion of the end of the rod.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particularembodiment thereof illustrated by the drawing, as various other forms of the device Will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claim.

What is claimed is:

A blank for a basket liner, having at one end elongated openings spaced transversely of the blank and at the other end spaced slots arranged in pairs transversely of the blank, the openings having a height greater than the distance between slots of a pair and a length greater than that of the slots, and said openings and' slots being located relative to their end of the liner to" align a pair of slots withan opening 'when'the liner is assembled with its ends overlapping.

GEORGE H. 

